According to Briggs data is everywhere! But isn’t that the truth? We are constantly bombarded with constant data. It’s available at our fingertips and it’s there whenever we want it, data is constant and it’s only going to continue growing. Because this new age of technology has brought with it immense amounts of data, it can have a double impact on most people according to Briggs. So lets talk about what those two challenges are. First challenge has to do with personal, just being able to take advantage of the tools and services to manage the every day without drowning in a sea of e-mails and blog posts and other interesting information. The second challenge is more on the professional side of things. Just being able to seize new technology like searchable databases and web sites that allow interactive dialogue with others in your profession.

Being a journalist and always on the go it can become hard to organize your personal space but it’s important that you do. I like this chapter because it not only suggests how to manage your resources but also how to manage your space. I especially like how Briggs suggest digitalizing your life, putting everything on in one place will boost productivity! Also spending some time searching for apps that will help you save time and help organize your life will be worth the investment. Briggs suggest the website Lifehacker.com as a resource for tips on productivity and I think this website can also help by suggesting ways to minimize desk space.

Organizing emails is probably one of the least favorite things to do but Briggs swears that if you take the time to create filters and folders the one time then from then on out, you as a journalist can focus on more important things. I agree with him on that. Who’s got time to be sorting through junk mail? Not me! Having folders like, “waiting on” or “read this” can be helpful so you know what still needs to be worked on what needs more information before the story can be complete and what could be answered in the next two minutes. If it can’t be answered in two minutes the file it! I like how Briggs gives all these little tips they are very useful and not something that I would have really given much thought to. I like how he talks about in the same way, to organize contacts and to develop a formula for doing things.

The second part of this chapter focuses on the data driven journalist. A typical newsroom compiles and publishes lists, some weekly, some annually and all that information can get lost or become unavailable if not organized and stored properly. The problem here is that audiences want the information now not when the news organization gets around to it. A way to fix this according to Briggs is to create spreadsheets and shared databases.

So why is data-driven journalism important? Well i think it’s because it can be constantly updated, and because visitors to the site can access the most recent information anytime. It’s also a way to tell a story with data. It can help reporters do their job, being able to access these databases with record information is especially important to an investigative journalist. An interesting database that could be used for instance if you were doing an investigative report of NFL players with arrest records you could go to http://www.usatoday.com/sports/nfl/arrests/ and check it out!

I liked this chapter it was very helpful. I hope that I was able to hit the most important parts and break it down a bit. There are plenty more helpful tips and guesses as to where online database can take us but one thing I do know, the ease of working with structured data that makes my life easier is something I could get used to!